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Hump Day Hottie: Arizona State Wrestling

As I have mentioned before, wrestling is my favorite sport. (The real stuff, not WWE.) An unfortunate reality in the world of wrestling is that at the college level, the sport is being decimated. 458 programs have been dropped since 1972. As a wrestling fan, I’ve written letters, bought t-shirts and donated money to try to save myriad programs, including Syracuse, Clemson, Slippery Rock, Fresno St. and Eastern Illinois. Oregon just finished their final season (damn you, Nike!) and on Tuesday, Arizona State announced that they were dropping wrestling, effective immediately. (They are also dropping men’s swimming and men’s tennis, citing economic reasons.) This breaks my heart, not just because a storied program is ending, not just because the Pac-10 is quickly dying, but also because of the hotties we’ll be missing out on. With that in mind, I bring to you the hotties of Arizona State wrestling, both present and past.

Heavyweight Quinton Pruett, formerly a Sun Devil. How cruel is the AD at ASU to deny us this?

First, ASU ghosts of Christmas present.

At 125, Anthony Robles at 125 pounds.

Your eyes are not deceiving you – Robles has one leg, and yet he was a starter on the ASU squad as a freshman this season, and came within one match of becoming an All-American. Also, look at his arms!

Chris Drouin

Brent Chriswell (on top-giggle)

Patrick Pitsch

And now for the ghosts of ASU wrestling past:

Eric Larkin

Brian Stith – if the wrestler back was the only reason to save the sport, I’d still be buying the t-shirts!

C.B Dolloway, in black – currently an MMA fighter on this season’s “Ultimate Fighter”

Steve Blackford and Aaron Simpson – two hottie Sun Devils for the price of one!

Pam, it’s just fine for him to suggest that around here. It breaks my heart that wrestling is seen as a fringe sport. The truth is that Title IX is not to blame – it’s the terrible administration of Title IX. Forcing quotas and including football in the equation, which doesn’t have a female equivalent sport, are just two of the problems. Instead of adding female athletic opportunities, many schools just cut male sports. That doesn’t really help either group, does it?

If Arizona St. had taken into how popular wrestling is in the state of Arizona, they never would have cut it. It’s the fastest growing girls’ sport in the state, and has huge participation at the boys HS level. Now, there are no in-state public opportunities in the state of Arizona. There are only 17 D-I college programs west of Iowa. Think of that when you watch the Olympics this summer, and see how Russia dominates us in wrestling.

Cutting college sports, or sports in high school, for that matter – for any reason, from any cause – depresses me deeply. So I’ll just say: I don’t even have to see his face – I hereby volunteer to lick Brian Stith. Yes, I know. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

I am a woman and like the opportunities Title IX gives. What makes me mad is when they cut programs like wrestling or other Olympic sports and then use something like equestrian or rowing to meet the law.

Keep in mind that ASU was in compliance with Title IX before they dropped the programs. There are three tiers that they can comply with… and now 3 teams and 70 athletes are gone.

I think it is great for females to have the opportunities that they want, or want to make for themselves. It should not come at the expense or as the excuse to take away the opporunities for other athletes though.

Let’s also go old school and remember that ASU also produced wrestling and MMA greats like Dan Henderson, Dan Severn, and Don Frye! While I would probably only take a liking to Hollywood, you have to admit the mustaches on Severn and Frye are pretty damn awesome.

Personally I don’t see it as a Title IX issue. I see it as an athletic department and an AD (Lisa Love) who can’t manage finances. And who would go to every alum in the country asking for money to build an indoor football stadium and a new basketball facility, but won’t ask those donors to pony up another $8 million to save wrestling, men’s swimming, and men’s tennis. If you can find the donation money for football and basketball, you can find the donation money for those other three sports.